Going All In is Not for the Faint of Heart

Let’s talk about a topic that seems to get people’s attention: when do you go all in? If you mention going all in with your chip stack, you will undoubtedly get a wide range of reactions from players. Some people think that it’s the end of the world if you go all in, because it means that you could lose your stack. Yes, this is very possible. Remember when we talked about not putting your whole poker bankroll at a table? This is why: chances are good that there will come a time where you’ll want to go all in on the table, and if you have your entire bankroll saved up in there, things get very bad fast. How many months would it take to replace your bankroll? Unless you’re playing super microstakes, then you’re definitely going to want to avoid having to replace your big stack.

The Mysterious Pull of Going All-In

We think it started with televised poker events. Remember that you’re getting an edited show that focuses on drama rather than super skill, even though all of these players are men and women that have played for many years. Their confidence is second to none, and their ability to handle risk is also on that level. But that doesn’t mean that you’re on that level. You shouldn’t be doing the all-in move constantly. You need to consider a lot of other factors before you diving in, including what type of hand you actually have. There are only a few all-in situations, rather than the whole range of hands. If you’re going to do this, you need to know that you’ve got a monster hand and you know that you’re going to get pushed into the pot.

Reversing the Tempo on Table

Another reason to go all in would have to be that it changes the overall mood of the table. If you think that your opponents are going to draw the cards they need and you already have a great hand (like KK or QQ or even the infamous AA), then luring them into an all-in situation would be ideal. It makes the table become aware that they have to address you differently and they need to think carefully about whether or not they want to proceed.

Times to Avoid the AI Temptation

There are naturally times where you really shouldn’t pull off this move. This is especially the case if someone else goes all-in, and you have less than an ideal hand. Sometimes people will see that you’re the shortest stack on the table and they are trying to run you out. Or maybe you look like you’ve already tilted, so they’re trying to really rattle you. Either way, it’s something that you need to think carefully on.

If the pot is low, then you need to avoid the temptation. It could be another player just trying to boost the pot artificially. They are probably bluffing you but they don’t want you to know that. They’re also hoping on the power of the cards to carry them through, because once you’re all-in…that’s it.

Playing at a table as a confident player can be interesting, but it’s also interesting when people don’t see you as a threat. If you feel like they’re not treating you seriously, an AI move can help you net bigger pots that would have otherwise been locked away. They now know that you’re serious competition, and you’ve boosted your stack. You can either stay at the table and continue playing or you can move on. The choice is always yours!

Overall, we encourage you to think carefully about going all-in. When it’s not done properly, it can really take big chunks out of your bankroll…obviously, that’s the last thing that you want. We’ll talk with you soon and discuss another poker element 🙂